Same Old Lang Syne
by I hart Booth
Summary: An adaptation on Auld Lang Syne, based on a great song by Dan Fogelberg. BB futurefic, it's romantic in the angsty, heartache sort of way. oneshot.


**Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg_. I heard this song the other day, and it reminded me of someone very important to me. It was her favorite song. It's a beautiful marriage of melody and lyrics (that's what Frank Sinatra would say) and I highly highly highly reccomend you listen to it as you read this fic, since it just adds a whole new demention to it._** _**I'm gonna try and post a link to a place where you can hear it, but it might not work. Anyway, here it is.** _

**http:// you tube. com/ watch?v 2NmdFgFyhnk**

They were making last minute purchases at the one supermarket that was open at nearly eleven on Christmas Eve. The fact that they had both chosen the same market on this most fateful of evenings was a testament to their enduring 'sameness of mind'.

He saw her from the canned food section, she was perusing the frozen meats, trying to decide between Honey Glazed and Smoked. As he approached, the smell of peaches and fabric softener wafted toward him and he smiled.

"You know either way you choose, you're going to burn it." He said, standing just far enough behind so that if she swung around with a stiff right hook, he could dodge her.

The dirty look he'd been expecting was immediately cast his way, followed by thoughtful confusion, before recognition and joy set in.

"Booth! Oh my god!" In a very uncharacteristic display she dropped her ham and threw her arms around his neck, his own immediately encircling her waist. They closed their eyes, inhaling one another's scent to preserve it for the years to come. She drew back to look him in the eyes, that same old charm smile, only with a few more wrinkles than she remembered, melting her where she stood. He kissed her innocently on the cheek, overcome with emotion at seeing her after such a long time, she looked good.

She blushed deeply, but never broke away from his eyes, and in their old habit they stayed locked in one another's gazes for just a few moments too long.

Clearing her throat, she stepped fully away from him, smiling as she smacked him on the arm.

"You know I don't burn things. I'm a good cook."

He nodded, reaching for his basket as they walked, side by side, to the front of the store.

"I know, I remember your mac 'n' cheese."

A wistful smile touched her lips and she pushed ahead, beating him to the cash register.

They fooled around as children do at the checkout stand, pushing and teasing and driving the checkout girl mad. Then they paid for their ham and green beans and found their way out to the cars, snow crunching beneath their boots. But, as they finished loading their groceries, they realized they weren't quite ready to part ways.

"Wanna go for a drink?" Booth blurted out suddenly, before realizing she perhaps had somewhere better to be on Christmas Eve, "Or, I mean if you want to just…"

She shook her head with a tight smile. "A drink sounds great."

They drove around their old stomping grounds, searching for an open bar, which they didn't find. Never the type of people who gave up easily, Brennan suggested they improvise and Booth ran inside a nearby gas station to buy a six-pack.

"Let's drink in my car." Brennan said, just as Booth started to climb into his SUV.

"Why?" He knew they weren't technically driving anywhere, but he still liked to be in the driver's seat.

She smiled coyly and gestured to her sliver Mercedes. "Heated seats."

Booth thought for a moment and nodded. As much as he liked the driver's seat, the passenger's was just as good if his butt was sure to be warm.

They were settled into Brennan's car, nothing but soft music from the radio and an armrest between them, halfway through their first beer before either of them spoke.

"So, did you ever get married?" Booth broke the easy silence, feeling silly for having to ask such a question. There was a time when he knew everything about her from a mere glance in her direction. Those times had certainly come and passed.

"Ha, yeah right. Booth, you know me better than that." She smiled and shook her head as she traced her fingers across the Mercedes emblem of her steering wheel. "No, the one guy I would have ever even _considered_ marrying, well…he never asked so…" She trailed off with a sigh and a halfhearted smile.

Booth nodded, twirling his bottle in his hands. "Maybe he never knew he could." He said softly.

"Well…What's done is done I guess." She said, shrugging one shoulder. "I am with someone though. William. He's an archeologist at the Smithsonian." She saw him start to crack a smile and cut him off before he could say it. "Yes, another squint. What can I say?"

"You find intelligence soothing."

This time she did smile, smacking him lightly for his mocking remark. "Yes, as a matter of fact. Is that bad?"

"No, no." He said, slightly sarcastically, dodging another of her punishing smacks. "No, really Bones, I'm glad you have someone. You deserve the best."

Brennan looked at him hesitantly, his shy smile making her instantly self-conscious. "Um, thanks." She bit her lip, searching her brain frantically for a way to get the conversation off herself. "Hey, what about you? You…ever get, you know…married?"

Booth nodded as he swallowed. "Yeah, yeah I did. She uh, her name was Mandy and we were together for about six years. Had a baby, a little girl. Sydney."

Brennan smiled. "That's great, Booth. You're a terrific father. Sydney is very lucky."

"Thanks. We have joint custody so, I get to see her a lot more than I ever saw Parker, which is nice." He continued haltingly, his discomfort hopelessly lost on Brennan.

"Oh, you're not um, together then?" Brennan stumbled awkwardly, realizing too late that she shouldn't have said anything at all. She blushed again as she gulped down her beer, and he tore another from the pack.

Booth shook his head, somewhat comforted by the fact that she still managed to trip across social queues, paying them no mind. It was good to know some things would never change. Without meaning to, he frowned at the dash. "No, we're um…no."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, that's one thing I've always been good at, right? Being a bad Catholic."

She silently reached across the center console and took his hand, squeezing it gently before letting go. She didn't know much about Catholicism, but she knew divorce was not looked upon well. And for a man like Booth, so grounded in his faith…it must have been hard on him.

"So what about you Bones?" He cleared his throat and broke the silence as it became uncomfortable, "What have you been up to lately?"

"No, not Bones." She watched snow lay a quiet layer across the windshield.

"Aw c'mon I thought we settled this years ago." He coaxed.

She smiled more fully. "No, not because I don't like it. I just…I don't work with bones anymore, that's all."

"What?" He said in disbelief, "I…but bones are your life."

She shrugged. "They were. But, after a few years with the new FBI liaison, who left a lot to be desired I can tell you, I was offered a promotion to an administrative position. Better pay, better hours, better…smells." She smiled again as he made a face, obviously remembering the way a leaky corpse could nearly knock you off your feet with the odor. "Yeah, I haven't worked with bones in years. Mostly I do consulting work now."

Booth raised his eyebrows as he took another sip. "Sounds great."

She shrugged. "I guess. What about you? Still with the FBI?"

"Yeah, but I'm not a field agent anymore." He sat up, adjusting his coat in the seat, "I was offered a promotion too and took it, in hopes that better hours, you know, being home more, would help Mandy and I save our marriage. But, that uh…"

"Yeah."

The two nodded and silence returned as they stared out their respective windows, watching a street of twinkling lights and darkness as it was covered in a layer of pure white snow.

It's strange how snow has a way of muffling the world. Instantly a street that used to seem dirty, wet and foreboding, becomes clean and white. Every sound, boots clomping on the sidewalk, cars driving through slush, every sound somehow seems muted, if not silent all together. And on this pure, white soundstage, an awkward silence turns into deafening calm and the mistakes, broken promises and missed opportunities of Christmases past are all that's left, and are no longer possible to ignore.

"You know Bones…I hope you never," He began quietly, his tone instantly alerting her that he was delving deeper than the light chit-chat they'd been participating in up until now. "That I never…"

"No." She cut in, and he looked up at her, his eyes seeming desperate for her to continue. She pursed her lips as she sought out his hand. "You were never anything other than extraordinary. I don't regret any of it."

His relieved smile brought one to her and she found she was losing herself in him all over again.

"So, how's Parker been lately, what is he now? Fourteen?" She said suddenly, breaking the connection and the silence all in one fell swoop.

Booth cleared his throat, adjusting to the abrupt change in topic. "Yup, fourteen. He's great. Fantastic actually. He'll be starting high school this fall, he's going to play football and hockey."

"Wow, that's so fantastic Booth." She said, his obvious pride and joy over his son's accomplishments putting her at ease, "And your youngest?"

"Sydney. She's eight and incredible. She loves dolls and the whole thing. Very girlie."

Brennan nodded. "That's great. Really great, Booth."

Booth nodded and watched a few snowflakes melt on the windshield and slide down. He turned to look at her, her delicate features, still as breathtaking as ever, were lit from a nearby streetlight.

"You know what's amazing to me?" He said softly as she slowly turned to meet his eyes, almost losing her breath at the adoration she saw burning in his gaze.

"No."

"That after ten years, you're still as…well-structured, as ever." His fingers burned with the desire to push her hair behind her ear, as he'd done so many times before. But the touch seemed too intimate, too familiar to be expressed between people who'd grown as far apart as they had. Worlds apart.

She blushed, for the third time that night and she was reminded of the power he'd always held over her. She thought it funny to realize she probably hadn't blushed since the last time she saw him.

Seeing her discomfort, Booth started to gather his things to get out of the car.

"So I'll see your around, okay Bones, hopefully not ten years from now."

She shook her head, "I told you Booth, not Bo-"

"I know what you said," He cut her off, "but I think you and I both know that you'll always be my Bones, right…partner?"

She turned to look at him and for a split second they were back in the lab, back in the SUV twelve years ago, arguing over a case, looking deep inside each other's souls. She smiled, shaking her head at the sheer irrationality of it all, and how it all made sense anyway.

"Right." She nodded, "Partners."

They quietly agreed to go their separate ways, bid a sorrowful farewell and wished each other a merry Christmas. He moved to get out of the car and she caught his gloved hand, pushing up from her seat, she gave him a gentle kiss on the lips and shrunk away just as quickly.

A half smile kicked up the side of his mouth as he said 'goodbye' one last time and he shut the door, telling her to drive safe. She promised she would.

Her silver Mercedes moved easily through the slush and he stuck his hands in the pockets of his black coat, his breath turning to fog on the cool air. He watched her drive away and turned a corner down the street. When the sound of her engine faded, he looked away, heaving a sigh, hoping it would lighten the load on his chest. And as he turned to get into his SUV, the snow turned into rain.

THE END


End file.
